S13-Blown gauge lights/Cigerette Lighter not working.

[Ghettokracker71]

'91 Fastback. The car came with an aftermarket head unit,and the cig. lighter outlet/gauges worked fine. I switched to a Pioneer DEH-7300 head unit and the gauges stopped lighting up at night,as well as the cig. outlet stopped putting out power. Possible leads? I find it very very annoying. Some guys on Zilvia.net also had the same problem...

Somebody suggested a blown "TCU" ??? Any info would be great,this is really bugging me.

Thanks.

[Altiman94]

check all your fuses under the dash

[NISTECH]

if its not your fuses. it may be the dimmer blew the bulb in it. very common when doing stero work.

[Ghettokracker71]

check all your fuses under the dash

Sorry forgot to mention I've checked my fuses at least 10 times since this has happened. Its been a while ago...Definitely not fuses.

[Ghettokracker71]

if its not your fuses. it may be the dimmer blew the bulb in it. very common when doing stero work.

I hate to sound like such an idiot,but how do I access the bulb? Would that affect my Cigg. Lighter?

Thanks for the replies.

[onosqv]

I hate to sound like such an idiot,but how do I access the bulb? Would that affect my Cigg. Lighter?

Thanks for the replies.

You don't sound like one, at least since I've asked that question to other people a billion times.

Take out the dimmer switch on your cluster bezel. The bulb is in there. If you unplug the device, it's "suppose" to be pretty straight forward to get that lil sucker out.

[Ghettokracker71]

Okay....now I'm REALLY lost. Sorry lol

[Asia989]

ok since i have the same problem minus the cig lighter part, all i have to do is check the dimmer switch?

[onosqv]

Okay....now I'm REALLY lost. Sorry lol

I'm not sure where you are lost.

Ok, here is a lil more detail:

On your cluster bezel (the part that surrounds the speedometer) there is the dimmer switch.

At least tell me you know where that is.

What you have to do is get that dimmer switch out, because the bulb is IN the dimmer switch.

hope that helps

And Asia989, you should check fuses first, then check the dimmer switch, and loose connections behind the cluster.

[Asia989]

ive checked the fuses, ive replaced all the fuses and all the bulbs that are in the speedo, could it be a wire that was accedently cut when i got my alpine put in, but i will check the dimmer switch

[Ghettokracker71]

I'm not sure where you are lost.

Ok, here is a lil more detail:

On your cluster bezel (the part that surrounds the speedometer) there is the dimmer switch.

At least tell me you know where that is.

What you have to do is get that dimmer switch out, because the bulb is IN the dimmer switch.

hope that helps

I pulled/pryed on it,with no luck.Whats a good way to remove it w/o causing damage to anything?However I did take out the blank plate under my headlight switch (plate for cruise control,I have a base model) and the only thing coming off the back of my dimmer switch is a bunch of wires with a plastic cover over them.

Sorry. This is what I should have said in the first place...gosh that'd be nice to get this **** fixed.

Thanks for your pateince.

[onosqv]

I pulled/pryed on it,with no luck.Whats a good way to remove it w/o causing damage to anything?However I did take out the blank plate under my headlight switch (plate for cruise control,I have a base model) and the only thing coming off the back of my dimmer switch is a bunch of wires with a plastic cover over them.

Sorry. This is what I should have said in the first place...gosh that'd be nice to get this **** fixed.

Thanks for your pateince.

O, that's "simple"

1) The switch is hooked in by two clips (think it's top and bottom side) on the switch itself. You should be able to feel around for it, depress the clip and it comes right out.

2) If it doesn't, you'll have to remove the whole bezel. Which is a lot of work if you haven't done it before:

reference http://www.zilvia.net/installs...p.asp

And Asia989. Well, with my lights, the lights go intermittently on and off. I know it is a loose wire connection that is causing that, however, it takes forever to trace these damn wires, and even then, it gets confusing trying to find if it's loose, a short etc, because it will work sometimes for a while before anything happens.

If it is the radio, I have no clue, but I have heard that that happens alot with aftermarket installs. Try completely unplugging your stereo and see if the problem goes away.

hope that helps a lil bit

[Asia989]

hmmm, maybe ill jus go with the indo glow white face gauges seeing how the produce the own light i think

[Ghettokracker71]

My Dimmer switch is a rocker type wich means you push the top and bottum to change the brightness of the gauge lights,so I don't think its held in by a couple of clips. I think it might have been ghettorigged. The car had an aftermarket head unit in there when I bought it,with working gauge lights. The HVAC controls didn't light up,however. I never tried the dimmer switch either,lol. Read this:

Quote »First remove the cluster, then pull out your digital volt meter. Check the dc voltage across the contacts of the large bulbs. I found that my cluster had voltage on both sides. I looked at the ground circut and found that it ends on the black connector with a red/orange wire 3rd wire from the end. I disconnected that from the harness and jumpered it to a ground. Your lights should work after that. The only drawback is that the dimmer dosnt work anymore and the climate control panel has no lights. I will try to figure out the source of the problem later...most likely the control module.[/quote]

Makes me think that maybe the former owner did that? Wonder what I could do to fix it if he did....Also noticted next to my fuse box there is a rather large wire connector unhooked,and I couldn't find where it plugs into;Might make me just take it to the nissan dealership:(

[onosqv]

My Dimmer switch is a rocker type wich means you push the top and bottum to change the brightness of the gauge lights,so I don't think its held in by a couple of clips. I think it might have been ghettorigged. The car had an aftermarket head unit in there when I bought it,with working gauge lights. The HVAC controls didn't light up,however. I never tried the dimmer switch either,lol. Read this:



Makes me think that maybe the former owner did that? Wonder what I could do to fix it if he did....Also noticted next to my fuse box there is a rather large wire connector unhooked,and I couldn't find where it plugs into;Might make me just take it to the nissan dealership:(

The rocker type is the way it's suppose to be. Maybe clips wasn't the best explanation.

The switch itself "clips" into the bezel. mmmmm... It is similar to how the power window control clips into the center console. If you pull up your center console, you can see how it is cliped, the dimmer is exactly the same way.

I'll try to take a pic of it tonight if i can if you want.

You can do what Asia989 is gonna do and get indo glows . hahahaha. I would but I want red lights, not bright white/blue.

[Ghettokracker71]

Hmm. Okay that would be nice to have pics as a reference,but I'm afraid it was rigged.Its just really annoying,and I want it fixed! I want to find out before I pay somebody money I don't have...lol. I don't have power windows,so I can't do that. Told you man,I got the base model! Only options: A/C,auto trans. THATS IT,lol.

[Asia989]

well brokeas they have kits to make them light up red, ive seen a pic in the tech forum

[onosqv]

well brokeas they have kits to make them light up red, ive seen a pic in the tech forum

Cool, please let me know if you find any.

I've checked ebay, and they all light up blue.

ImportIntellligence.com is the closest I've found, but that's gonna be expensive.

[Asia989]

i saw it posted here in the tech forum bout a week or 2ago lemme research

[Asia989]

http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....=7404

[onosqv]

O Thanks,

I thought you meant red indiglo.

I already have red bulbs in my cluster, looks sweet at night. Only problem is the damn loose connection I can't seem to fix keeps having it shut on and off. That's why I wanted to get an indiglo or something with a separate power supply/switch so it would stay constant.

Thanks tho.

[Asia989]

ill keep lookin the one i saw was blue and the needles lit up in blue

[ricebike]

ghetto,

did u check the TCU yet? some say the dimmer switch bulb may have acted like a fuse & blow, but in my case as well as some others, a part of the printed circuit board of that little white box blew instead...

u can unplug it from the driver side kick panel... take it apart w/ some small flathead screwdrivers & actually do a visual on the board.

it was very noticable where it blew & easy to resolder... i put it off cause i was inexperienced w/ electronics, but this was very easy to do.

[Ghettokracker71]

How hard is it to pull the TCU? Its really hard for me to access the fuse panel on the driverside kick panel due to health stuff...

Thanks for the responce.

[ricebike]

Quote »How hard is it to pull the TCU? Its really hard for me to access the fuse panel on the driverside kick panel due to health stuff...[/quote]

Not hard @ all, well, maybe for u, kinda... just get a buddy to pull it out for a beer or something...

open door, take that plastic panel that is right by your seat/door sill via plastic screws, take fuse panel cover off the kick panel, a few screws that hold the plastic kick panel, then that infamous white box will be staring @ u... unplug & carefully pry it open...

[NISTECH]

the board slides out the end of it where the connector attaches.

[ricebike]

oh, i dunno if the cigar lighter ties into this problem as well, but i'm guessing u can check the wiring w/ a simple test light... u can pop off the whole cigar assembly to find 2 wires... unplug/ then, attach the test light to the 2 wires(power/ground)

ok, turn key to on or accessory power...light should go on...

nistech, is this right? or is there a better way to test this?<i'm still learnin'>

also, make sure the previous owner didn't use the illumination wire on the aftermarket stereo... RED W/ BLUE STRIPE & RED W/ YELLOW STRIPE...that will make the lights not work... BUT check that white box in the kick panel 1st...

edit: after re-reading your 1st post, this problem started when u changed head units? double check those wires & hopefully u didn't tap into the cigar light wires instead... <shrugs>

[NISTECH]

you can probe the lighter it self to test it. slide a piece of vaccum line on yout test light probe so it only revels the tip and probe the center of the cig lighter it should light up when the key is on. Oh and put the negitive lead of your test light on the outer casing of the cig lighter. It is likely it is not plugged in since it is mounted in the same bezel your radio is in. It was probably forgotten when the radio was installed.

[wangless]

not to threadjack, but quick question. i keep reading that when people install aftermarket headunits they always seem to blow out their tcu's or something that causes their lights to not work. is there anyway to prevent this from happening when installing a new headunit ? i currently dont have any radio/speakers whatsoever installed and i have already replaced my tcu which did bring back all my lights. i just want to install a headunit then blow the tcu, then have to get another one.

so anyway to prevent this from happening ? or explain why it happens when installing an aftermarket headunit ? thanks

[ricebike]

Quote »is there anyway to prevent this from happening when installing a new headunit ?[/quote]

hmm, the most common-sense thing to do is to disconnect the battery & make sure when u wire them together to be correct w/ the colors...

mine blew cause theives took my headunit & the dangling wire mess they left behind probably shorted something <the white box, in my case>